Staff Reports
SPRING GARDEN – If Spring Garden sophomore Chapel Pope was nervous in his first football playoff start behind center, he certainly didn’t show it.
Pope passed for 203 yards and three touchdowns on 12-of-15 pass attempts. He also ran for 98 yards on 12 carries with three more scores in fifth-ranked Spring Garden’s 55-20 victory over Hatton.
But before Pope got things rolling for the Panthers (11-0), the Hornets (5-6) took an early 6-0 lead on Carsen Reed’s 1-yard touchdown run. The try for two failed.
Andrew Floyd opened the second quarter with a 6-yard touchdown run. The extra point put the Panthers in front 7-6. Floyd finished the game with 53 yards on 11 carries.
Pope then had a hand in Spring Garden’s next six touchdowns, beginning with a 63-yard scoring strike to Cooper Austin with 8:59 remaining in the first half.
Austin was Pope’s top receiver, with seven catches for 144 yards and two scores. He also had an interception on defense.
Pope then took to the ground for the Panthers’ next two touchdowns from nine yards and a yard, giving Spring Garden a 28-6 halftime advantage.
Pope picked up where he left off in the third quarter by tossing two more touchdowns – a 22-yarder to Austin and a 16-yarder to Larry Rogers. After three quarters, Spring Garden led 42-6.
Rogers caught five passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Pope scored his final touchdown with 10:18 remaining in the game on a 7-yard run to push the Panther lead to 48-6.
Reed ended Spring Garden’s scoring barrage with a 6-yard touchdown run. He also accounted for the ensuing 2-point conversion with 8:13 to go, making the score 48-14.
Rogers took the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for another touchdown, putting the Panthers in front 55-14.
Hatton’s Tasean Love scored on a 7-yard touchdown run with 3:56 remaining for the final.
Connor Bates led the Panther defense with nine tackles. John and Jacob Welsh both finished with six stops. Noah Barber recovered a fumble.
Spring Garden advances to next Friday’s second round, where it will host Aliceville. Aliceville defeated Ider 46-6 in other first-round playoff action.